God & Sense - Use Logic - the Lord's Day

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard

behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Revelation 1:10

The Disciple and Apostle John is imprisoned upon the Isle of Patmos when he receives the beginning of his Revelation from Jesus Christ, which will eventually become the Book of Revelation. John does not spell out exactly which day of the week IS "the Lord's day," but scripture provides the answer, without doubt or confusion or mystery interpretation.

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from

doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call

the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD,

honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing

thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure,

nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou

delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee

to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed

thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the

mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 58:13-14

The "Mouth of the Lord" spoke it, and we shouldn't doubt or question it. Yahweh tells you that "MY HOLY DAY" is in fact His Sabbath day, a day of delight, a day we are to spend concentrating upon Him, a day we are to spend in DELIGHT, not doing our own things or thinking our own thoughts, but concentrating upon Him, our Creator, for the Sabbath is the memorial of creation, see Genesis 2:1 where God blesses the day, makes it holy, and Exodus 20, where in the heart of the Ten Commandments, written with God's own finger, God spends the most space writing and most time speaking in detailing His holy day, the Lord's Day.

This is inarguable logic, and anyone who argues these verses has an ulterior motive. In fact, those who attempt to prove that Sunday is the "Lord's Day," the first "bit of logic" they use in attempting to prove their fact is . . . well, why don't we closely examine their "fact" and see if it is in fact, a fact indeed: Here is their logic:

First, Jesus appeared to the disciples on Sunday,

and Thomas was not with them, then the following

Sunday Jesus again appeared to the disciples, and

this time Thomas was with them! So Sunday is the

Lord's day, because we see by example that Jesus

always picked Sunday as His appearing day!

Well, is that logic? Before we decide, let's check out whether or not their "facts" line up with what the Bible actually says:

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene

early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and

seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day

of the week, when the doors were shut where the

disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came

Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them,

Peace be unto you.

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus,

was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other

disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the

Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his

hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the

print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I

will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his

disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then

came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the

midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

John 20:1,19,24-26

From the Bible we find the true facts, real facts unblemished by opinion or mystery interpretation.

Fact #1: Mary Magdalene went to the empty tomb early on the first day of the week, the Bible specifying that it was still dark, so probably before dawn. The Bible accounts days from evening unto evening, unlike our Roman practice of midnight to midnight, so as the sun set on the Sabbath (Saturday) it became Sunday morning, and it was during these hours after the Sabbath had closed, before sunrise, that Mary Magdalene came to a tomb already EMPTY (think about it, if Jesus was secretly attempting to teach you something about Sunday, wouldn't it have been more obvious? It is clear that this event did not happen at 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning with the organ playing and everyone sitting in their "Sunday best" -- isn't this completely clear?).

Fact #2: That same evening, Sunday, when the Disciples were hiding (without Thomas) "for fear of the Jews," Jesus came to them. Taking Bible time into consideration, again, from sunset to sunset -- Sunday at evening would be the end of Sunday! Jesus appeared to them as Sunday was closing! He did not appear Sunday morning! It was Sunday evening, as the sun was setting! And another clear fact hidden here in Fact #2 is that the Disciples were hiding together out of fear, not having a worship service! Isn't that amazing? And yet that is not what "modern popular teachers" are teaching. They are, in fact, rewriting history to make their "traditions of men" fit into their doctrines for today, which are not Biblical! Their "dogma" is worthless tradition of men, NOT commandment of God.

Fact #3: Eight days later Jesus appeared to the Disciples again while Thomas was with them! Isn't that amazing, even with the sloppiest of counting, you cannot make eight days after Sunday be Sunday again, and yet that's exactly what "popular modern teachers" are trying to pass off to you! Not only is it sloppy, but it is downright deceptive, dishonest and purest of fraud. Of course, you might object, maybe it is their proficiency in mathematics that is screwing up their theology! Because, eight days after Sunday is Monday! But when you consider that it was the end of Sunday (see John 20:19) and the beginning of early Monday, then eight days later would actually be Tuesday, and even if you count the day you're starting upon (Monday night), eight days later is still Monday night (hint, you DON'T count the day you're starting on, right?)! The Bible clearly and specifically employs the numeral EIGHT (oktoo) whereas it could have clearly specified "a week later" if the Bible intended for us to consider Sunday to be, in fact, "the Lord's Day," a "new and improved Sabbath of God," but the Bible clearly specifies something else entirely. Isn't that incredible?

And that's where the teacher of falsehood topples their house of cards. Because they always start here, and it is a faulty start, so all the other verses they pile on, tediously placing card after card, the whole house of cards is doomed. It is erroneous. It is faulty. It is deception, I'm sorry to inform you. Other teachers attempt to employ a gnostic teaching from 200 or so years after the Resurrection of Jesus, about "the eighth day being a new day added to our weekly calendar," so that "the eight day is always Sunday." (Luke 9:28, Luke 2:21, 2 Chronicles 29:17, Phillipians 3:5, Acts 7:8 all sufficiently disprove this insufficient theory, as "the eighth day" almost always refers to circumcision, in that a male child should be circumcised on the eighth day after birth).

Granted, I do not believe that everyone that employs this deceptive and faulty chain of logic is in fact a deceiver. I honestly believe that many of these poor teachers are just passing on what had been foisted on them in their Christian infancy. And we all know, if you learn something incorrectly, it's decidedly difficult to break away from that first teaching and embrace the truth. They have been taught that Jesus was secretly teaching us something in His appearances, whereas in fact Jesus almost always taught with parables, spoke His truths, sometimes repeating Himself over and over, giving example after example on how and why and what the truth IS, He did not mysteriously do something a few times and then leave it to our thick-headed calculators to make a new dogma out of it, or begin a new doctrine that Jesus never taught.

But let's move onto another logical fact from scripture, something skipped over by "popular modern teachers" of God's Holy Word. The Bible clearly and specifically teaches us, through example, which day is really and truly the Lord's Day:

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to

Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on

the sabbath day, and sat down.

16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand

said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers,

because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the

prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have

fulfilled them in condemning him.

29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of

him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him

in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead:

31 And he was seen many days of them which came

up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his

witnesses unto the people.

37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue,

the Gentiles besought that these words might be

preached to them the next sabbath.

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many

of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and

Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to

continue in the grace of God.

44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole

city together to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:14, 16, 27, 29-31, 37, 42-44

Fact #1: Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and preached to both Jews and Gentiles. Here it is, the Bible clearly specifies that Paul and Barnabas, following in the tradition of Jesus (Luke 4:16), went into the synagogue to preach and teach, on God's holy Sabbath. Here is a clear-cut logical example of the early Christians meeting together on God's Sabbath, the Lord's Day!

Fact #2: Paul even reinforces Sabbath-keeping in his sermon, in Verse 27 reiterating that the prophets are read every Sabbath day. Mind you, this is well after the Resurrection of Jesus, and here we find the Super Apostle keeping the Sabbath, with Jews and Gentiles, and preaching the Sabbath in his sermon. This would have been the perfect place for Paul, if it was his true intention, to mention the "change of the Lord's Day from the Sabbath of Yahweh, to Sunday," but no mention is made. Curious, isn't it? Paul speaks his mind, he tells it like it is, and yet this did not happen here (or at the very least, the lies taught today reared not their ugly, blasphemous heads!).

Fact #3: In Verses 29 through 37 Paul distinctly and boldly preaches on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and yet makes no mention of Sunday being holy. This is a staggering blow to those who would change the Sabbath from the Seventh day of the week to the first. Christian teachers everywhere declare that Sunday is holy because Jesus rose from the dead on that day, and yet Thursday would be holy, then, because Jesus celebrated the first Lord's Supper on Thursday night, and Friday would be holy because Jesus died on Friday afternoon, and Sabbath would be doubly holy all over again because Jesus slept in death, resting according to the commandment (Luke 23:56) -- and yet Paul somehow blows his chance to preach "the eighth day" or "Sunday is holy" even while he is talking about the Death and Resurrection of the Anointed One! Amazing, simply amazing.

Fact #4: Here is the most amazing fact in this chapter of Acts, the fact that "popular modern teachers" hear and begin to tap dance. Give it a test sometime, ask a "popular modern teacher" about the facts in this chapter, and specifically what the Gentiles beg for, what Paul tells them, and what happens the following Sabbath -- and you very well might get the chance to see some mighty fine tap dancing! Verse 42 relates that the Gentiles in the synagoge requested that Paul and Barnabas teach to them the following Sabbath -- you rarely hear this preached in church, do you? Why -- seriously ask yourself this -- and then think about it long and hard.

"Popular modern teachers" will tell you a lot of faulty mathematics around the appearances of Jesus, and then completely skip over these pertinent facts in Acts 13:14-44. Ledgerdermain, presto-chango, Abracadabra -- it is sleight of hand, keep the rubes focused on THIS hand, while THIS hand sneaks the rubber chicken into the hat!

Ask yourself, here is bold Paul, someone willing to argue with the Apostle Peter and the leaders at Jerusalem, someone willing to endure beating after beating, someone who went to his death because he could not keep his mouth from speaking the truth -- here is Paul, asked by Gentiles, non-Jews, to preach to them the same truths the next Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, the perfect opportunity for Paul to "step up to the plate" and tell these Gentiles that the holy day of Yahweh given at the end of Creation Week, blessed by God Himself, before sin had entered the world, written by His own finger in the heart of the Ten Commandments, spoken by His own voice -- that Sabbath was gone, zip, done away with, nailed to the cross, a day of gloom, boredom, and under the law -- why DIDN'T Paul, bold Paul, tell them this?

Because It isn't true, that's why. None of it. All the popular, glib explanations are just that, popular glib explanations that mean absolutely NOTHING. The Bible says it, right here, the Gentiles requested more teaching, the following Seventh day, the Biblical Sabbath day, God's Holy Day, the Lord's Day, and Paul told them, the Gentiles, unbelievers, to come together on God's holy Sabbath day, the Lord's Day! Unbelieveable, isn't it?

But it's there, right in the Bible, clear-cut, clean, and undiluted by opinion or mystery interpretation. Read it for yourself, the whole chapter, in context, and then ask yourself why the "popular modern teachers" are teaching something contrary to this clear-cut scripture?

Seriously. Don't cling to lies you've been slammed over the head with, accept and absorb God's TRUTH, free of the traditions of deceivers and faulty teachers, false prophets and liars and cheaters. Listen to God, Hear His Voice, Consume His Word!

Fact #5: The Apostle Paul tells these proselytes, non-believers, seekers of truth, to "continue in the grace of God," and yet no mention is made of "the first day of the week" (tomorrow, in other words) or "the eighth day" (in gnostic speak). These are people who know something about God, already, Verse 43 details that these non-believers had already been following Paul and Barnabas, and yet they know nothing of "a first-day meeting" or an "eighth-day meeting" -- yet popular teachers today are outright telling you that the early Christians were meeting together on Sunday! Really! And yet Paul or Barnabas fails to tell these Jews or Gentiles of "that fact," and these Jews and Gentiles obviously know nothing of "that fact" since they ask for more the next Sabbath, so obviously "that fact" is no fact at all, it is rumor, fable, and tradition of men! Obviously, logically, a "holy Sunday" is not part of the "grace of God" that Paul has taught these proselytes and Gentiles and Jews. Is that logical, or not?

Fact #6: The whole city comes together the next Sabbath! Talk about a clear example of early Christianity in action! Talk about a clear example of the practices of early Christians!

This is no inference, this is no mystery interpretation.

Read it for yourself, the whole chapter, put it in context, and see if you are not experiencing pure Bible truth, undiluted by disputations, argument, and wordly opinion. Paul establishes the fact that the Bible is truth, that all scripture is inspired by God and relevant. Paul is NOT a pick-and-choose kind of guy. In this chapter we see that Paul kept the Sabbath and taught others to keep the Sabbath, and that Paul was following in the footsteps of His Savior, Jesus the Christ, Who also kept the Sabbath! (see Luke 4:16)

Fact #7: The Apostle Paul traveled about teaching the churches the true way of the Christian Church (see Acts 16:4-5) and it is more than apparent here that a precedent is set in that not only does Paul keep the Sabbath in a synagogue, on the Seventh day of the week, but he also encourages the whole city to come together for more Good News the following Sabbath! So it is established which day the disciples and apostles and early Christians met on to share the Good News and fellowship together!

Is there yet another parallel proof to this passage, as if one is even needed, in Acts Chapter 13 that proves beyond any reasonable doubt, which day the early Christians met on and kept as their holy day, deciding, once and for all, which day is the Lord's Day? Yes there is, actually, in the same book. Turn to Acts Chapter 16 for another eye-opening revelation:

4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered

them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of

the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

5 And so were the churches established in the faith,

and increased in number daily.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There

stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying,

Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we

endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly

gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach

the gospel unto them.

13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a

river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and

we sat down, and spake unto the women which

resorted thither.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household,

she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be

faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide

there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:4-5, 9-10, 13, 15

Fact #1: Paul and Timothy traveled about teaching God's decrees to the people, establishing churches in the faith, increasing the numbers of believers. This was their mission, to take the truth about to the world and establish what and what not believers should do. They were teaching the people what was important, the truth, the TRUTH, not made-up rules and regulations and traditions of men.

Fact #2: A vision from God told Paul to go to Macedonia to help the people there. Paul was bringing the truth of correct practices to Macedonia. Paul boldly spoke the truth, he never shirked to correct people when they were straying from the truth.

Fact #3: Paul was preaching the Gospel truth to these believers in Macedonia, those that needed help. It was God, in a vision, that sent Paul to Macedonia to preach the Gospel.

Fact #4: Paul met with the believers on the Sabbath, at the river where the believers gathered to pray. This is a fact, spoken in Acts, just as the truth was made plain in Chapter 13, so it is made plain here in Chapter 16. Paul and Timothy and the believers met on the Sabbath day, the Seventh day of the week, as it is made plain in Genesis 2 and in Exodus 20.

Fact #5: They were holding a religious meeting here, at the riverside, praying, and even baptizing, as discovered in Verse 15! "Popular modern teachers" fail to indicate this to their "itchy-eared" listeners, that it was a Biblical practice to baptize believers on the Sabbath day, but here it is in Acts 16:15!

Fact #6: Paul and Timothy came here to Macedonia to help the believers, and if, in fact, the believers were practicing faulty religion, keeing the Sabbath which had been done away with, Paul would have told them so. Instead, he joined these faithful women at the river, to pray with them, and ended up baptizing them! And no mention is made that he upbraided them, or scolded them, or corrected them, for following the Bible in meeting on the Seventh day of the week, the Bible Sabbath!

Fact #7: This Bible meeting at the river, held on the Sabbath, supports and condones the Chapter 13 Sabbath-keeping of both Gentiles and Jews, and these two witnesses, Chapters 13 and 16 establish a Sabbath-keeping for Christians! As told in Hebrews 4:9: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." And the Bible makes it amply clear exactly what day it is, the Lord's Day, the true Biblical Sabbath! Keep in mind that Jesus rested in the grave on the Sabbath, and His followers, even after His death, still obeyed the Fourth Commandment (see Luke 23:56).

In all of this, am I suggesting that it is wrong to go to church on Sunday? Nope, the Bible does not suggest this, and so it is fine to go to church on Sunday; however, can a Christian somehow keep the Fourth Commandment by not working on Sunday? Of course not, nothing like this is even remotely suggested in the Bible. Going to church does not in any fashion denote "keeping the Sabbath," the two cannot have even a passing relationship, because they are different days.

The commandment not only tells us to rest on the Seventh day, but it also commands us to work Sunday through Friday. There is absolutely no "pick-and-choose-your own day" in the Bible. The Bible emphatically says the Seventh, not "any one of seven." Will people tell you that you can pick your own day? Sure, let the tap dancing begin!

As far as the days go, Sunday through Friday, some people consider one day better than the rest -- "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Romans 14:5 -- so be persuaded, not by me, but by your own logic aided by the Holy Spirit, through scripture. Don't use parts of the Bible while throwing out other parts. Allow the Bible to interpret the Bible. One man very well might esteem one day above the others, but God says: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My Holy Day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 58:13-14 -- Isn't God wonderful in the promises He gives us, and the clear direction?

Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not unto

thine own understanding.

In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

Be not wise

in thine own eyes:

fear the LORD,

and depart from evil.

It shall be health